Book Review: Razorland by Ann Aguirre

This is my last book review of Dystopian August (I know - so sad!).  I have an unrelated book tour tomorrow, and will do my recap post (with a final AWESOME giveaway) on Thursday.  Look for it!

At her naming ceremony, Deuce finally receives the triple cuts on each of her arms that signify her as a huntress among her people. As a huntress, Deuce not only gathers food but also protects her underground community from wild mutant scavengers. She’s paired up with Fade, a mysterious young man who claims to have originally come from the surface. When they are sent out on patrol and discover that their nearest neighbors have been overrun, the enclave elders dismiss their concerns, and Deuce realizes her blind obedience to the enclave may not be the best course of action.


A dystopian society AND an apocalyptic wasteland in one fast-paced thrill ride? YES! Deuce’s world is pure survival of the fittest. When someone dies, they are not mourned, just thrown out to become part of the food chain. It’s a rough life, and that’s why the elders are no older than 24.

Deuce is immediately someone I liked. She’s an awesome fighter (wields a club in addition to knives) but she’s not arrogant about it. She’s been raised to be hard, but she also has an innate generosity of spirit that gives her a special connection to Fade. And Fade is definitely someone you want to cultivate a special connection to…YUM. Even though I insist time and time again that I am not big on romance, I wanted these two to get together. The fact that Deuce thinks “breeding” is for losers put a damper on things though…

I enjoyed following the story – it kept me on my toes, never knowing what would happen next. Some scenes felt like they might have been lifted from elsewhere (the cherry tasting scene was a lot like the coke scene in THE ROAD) but that could just be because I’ve read so many of these types of books where desperate people are scavenging for food.

Oh yeah…guys? This is a series. No big cliffhanger, but I do wish I could read the second book now. And the first one is not even out yet! *Sigh* These series are killing me!

My rating? 4 Zombie Chickens – An Excellent Example of the Dystopian Genre

RAZORLAND comes out in January 2011 in hardcover. Find out more about it and read the first two chapters at the author’s website.

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore